[A/N] Got a flight tonight so I'll be back up and at 'em in a couple hours. In other news, this is a pretty tame chapter, but don't worry, it picks up pace in the next one.
"Who are you?" He asked me.
The little boy looked young, maybe eight or nine, I was never good at guessing the years of a child, with brown hair and dark brown eyes. He had good posture, and wore nice clothes. The way he stared at me I sensed something familiar in his gaze.
"I- I am a joker, and who are you?"
He shook his head from side to side and tugged at my shirt again. "What's your name?"
I looked at the tiny chubby hand, moving slightly it seemed his grip on my shirt was strong. It wasn't tied no properly, though, and I feared that if he pulled at the wrong part of it, it would come undone, the evidence of the night before visible in fresh lines on my skin. Surely, such a thing would petrify a young boy.
I gently tried to pull his hand off of my shirt. "I am called Elpis, young one, and what is your name?"
He looked down at the ground for a second before meeting my gaze again. "Nikator." He told me proudly. "You look strange."
I nodded.
"You aren't dressed as Joker ought to be."
I shrugged. "I suppose not, I must leave now." I told him, attempting to brush his hand away, but his grip was stronger than I gave him credit.
"Do you like playing budall?"
I shook my head as I smiled at him. "You must let go of my shirt, Nikator, I am very late and must go."
"But why are you here?" He asked me.
I started slightly at the blunt question, heart racing for no real reason, I felt guilty even though I had no reason to. Perhaps it was the part of me that recognised that he must be the son of someone powerful, since he resided in the palace grounds... but someone who wasn't powerful enough that he was under careful watch, because the boy ought not to be wondering about like this the day after an intruder made it's way up to the King's bedchambers.
"I am just passing by." I told him. A vague excuse was much easier to tell than one with complicated details, besides, whatever his parents position I was older, a child could ask a man any number of questions but must not expect any number of replies.
He screwed up his face, his fist still holding a bunch of the fabric of my shirt, his short stature causing me to lean slightly in an effort not to drag him towards me.
"Why are you naked?" He asked me.
I flushed, looking down at my dishevelled attire. I was by no means naked, but I was also not at all appropriately dressed as I was walking from the King's bedchambers. Even in friendly company the way I was dressed would be perceived as odd, flirtatious even. Though a child had no business worrying about such things, in my world at least.
"I am not naked." I told him firmly. "What I wear should not bother you, little one, you must let go of my shirt." I hurried him, trying to pull the little fingers from my shirt. I worried that if I tried too hard he would wail for his mother and cause much unwanted commotion.
He shook his head. "You aren't dressed. Kuria will tell you off, you know?" He honestly looked a little worried.
Just as he finished speaking I heard footsteps a little way away. I jumped slightly and backed away quickly and he was pulled forwards some paces before he let go of me.
I looked left and right.
"I know no Kuria, I am dressed fine." I told him firmly. "Go back to your minder, little one, they will be missing you!" I said as I turned on my heal and began to walk in the opposite direction.
It was when I started to walk fast, however, that I discovered it was not such an easy thing. There was a twinge inside me, an ache, and suddenly all the remnants of the night before came alive on my skin. My chest felt hot, stinging, my wrists felt bruised and deep inside me an ache forced me to slow my pace to the walking speed of a hurried child.
Every ache presented me with an image from the night. Every image of our bodies colliding and my pain and my pleasure, complete with my own incredulity at even believing it had happened was accompanied with shame that I was even reviewing such memories, and not even with the sort of grief than any normal, betrothed man should be.
Indeed my comparison was accurate, as I realised very quickly the little Nikator had begun to follow me, only two steps behind me as I walked.
I turned to my side to look at him. "Why do you follow me little one?"
He stuck his nose in the air, now only a step away. "You must call me Nikator, not little one."
I turned back to the path ahead. "Why are you following me little Nikator?" I asked.
"I am bored." He said simply. "You will play with me."
I frowned. Had it been any other day I would have gladly thrown a ball back and forth with the little tike but it was not any other day. I was aching and badly dressed and... not clean. I was in no position to be playing with the courts children.
"I cannot, I am busy." I told him.
I saw the way his eyes widened slightly, not sure how to take my reply, his step faltering slightly.
"You have to." He told me.
"I don't see why."
"But you have to." He insisted.
I raised a brow. "Why?" I asked him in earnest, I was still new to this strange world, perhaps there was a reason why I was better off letting the small man order me about.
He looked confused for a moment. He had probably never been posed that question before.
"I am not sure, but you must." He told me finally.
I huffed and stopped in my tracks, turning to look at him. "I must return to my room now, and cannot play."
He pulled at the long embroidered sleeves of the jacket he was wearing ([A/N] Not a modern jacket, different shape and no zip.) and looked up at me.
It was hard to hide the brief conflict from my face. A child wanted company, it was ingrained in me to oblige, I had always been loved by children and had in tern loved to take care of them. I wished many children with my wife-to-be. It was hard to convince myself out of accepting the lonely child's requests.
"I will teach you a quick trip." I told him. "For when you are feeling lonely. Then you will not have to worry about looking for a playmate. Does this sound good?" I bargained.
He nodded quickly and stepped close to me, looking up at me with wide eyes as though he expected me to pull a dragon from a satchel any minute.
I gingerly lowered myself to the floor and knelt on the grass, as we had veered off of any stone ground, certain parts of me feeling abused by the simple exercise.
From the grass I picked up a daisy and held it out to him.
He looked confused but accepted it.
I took another daisy and punctured the end with my nails, creating a little gap and showed him to slip the daisy on through it. He didn't seem to understand what I was showing him immediately, so sat down beside me and followed my instructions diligently and quietly, wide eyes turning on me ever so often, just watching me as I spoke.
I wondered if he would enjoy hearing me sing or play a tune. Little children always loved that sort of thing. If I asked His Majesty for permission, perhaps he would allow it?
I shook the thought from my mind. After today I would have nothing more to do with the little boy. I was already creating far too many relationships in a world in which I held no intentions of staying rooted in.
When he realised the daisies were beginning to form a little chain he quickly grew more and more interested, enjoying himself as he grabbed the specs of white from the ground and entwined them in the chain.
I smiled to see him happy. It wasn't a boyish activity to be doing but most boys activities required a crowd, and so few would be permissible. I slowly pulled myself up from the ground, getting up apparently being easier than sitting down.
He didn't seem to notice as I began to walk away, he occasionally hopped up from the spot he was crouching in to move further away to find more daisies, the trail of daisies dragging behind him, and was no longer too close to me to notice.
I jumped when I saw the familiar figure of Ophelos a little way away. If he was tailing me he usually was no where to be seen, which was why I felt surprise seeing him. I had to wonder how long he had been behind me. Had he seen me leave the King's bedchambers so early in the morning? My clothes dishevelled, my hair a mess?
I quickened my pace, embarrassed. There were voices up ahead of me and my heart beat quickly as I tried to consider what they might see as I walked past.
My body felt tender, all of me did.
Then I realised that returning to my room was likely to be a worse idea. The servants quarters would be bustling with activity during these hours, I couldn't show my face there looking as I was.
I chose instead to head for the bath house. I could wash and no one would judge me for returning from the baths a little messy looking.
A good choice.
The bathhouse was mostly empty, not for lack of having company, but more because the servants all washed at an ungodly hour. Only one pair of footsteps to be heard, so I went for the slightly murky water at the other end of the house.
I didn't look before I walked in. Stripping as I went and sinking in to the water.
I sighed out loud. I was early enough that the water to be warm, not quite warm enough to be considered hot but still a pleasant surprise. My aches and ailments beginning to fall away in the warm pressure of the water.
The room filled with light as the sun approached high in the sky, away from the cover of any clouds.
I closed my eyes, feeling the gentle steam tickle my nose.
That surrounding warmth reminded me of the bed in the morning. A strange, mad part of me wished I hadn't had to leave, because it had been so very warm.
I tried to escape from such misleading thoughts, I closed my eyes tight and ducked under the water.
[A/N] As always here are a couple amazing people.
♆ Deadnerd4life ♆ Lola ♆ dianaluvsumore ♆ MidnightMystery2000 ♆ Undefinedx3 ♆ Nakiro ♆ Xprincess_darknessX ♆ Ingomiel ♆ Orphylia ♆ Alysse714 ♆ Vix ♆ Nightstalkingheroes ♆ Kasilo ♆ midnightdirrty ♆ DuskofViolet ♆